posted at 10:12 am on August 28, 2009 by Ed Morrissey

Mark Tapscott discovers a nugget in the analysis provided by the Congressional Research Office on HR3200, the House version of ObamaCare coming to the floor. While Barack Obama insists that the idea that ObamaCare will cover illegal immigrants is a “myth,” the CRS points out that the bill does nothing to prevent it. Since HR3200 doesn’t require people to establish citizenship or legal residency before applying to exchanges for health insurance, including the public option, taxpayer money will certainly flow to illegal immigrants:

In what he called the “first myth” being spread by critics of his proposal for a government-run health care system, Obama said they are wrong in claiming illegal immigrants will be covered: “That is not true. Illegal immigrants would not be covered. That idea has not even been on the table.” Obama said.

Well, Mr. President, that idea must have been tucked under a stack of background briefing papers over there in the corner of the table because the Congressional Research Service (CRS) says this about H.R. 3200, the Obamacare bill approved just before the recess by the House Energy and Commerce Committee chaired by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-CA:

“Under H.R. 3200, a ‘Health Insurance Exchange’ would begin operation in 2013 and would offer private plans alongside a public option…H.R. 3200 does not contain any restrictions on noncitzens—whether legally or illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanently—participating in the Exchange.”

CRS reports do not get released to the public. CRS offers private analysis to members of Congress on request, but rarely do they see the light of day. However, David Freddoso got his hands on a copy of the 11-page analysis, “Treatment of Non-Citizens in HR3200″ late last night, and confirmed Tapscott’s reading:

In its subsection on health insurance subsidies (known as “affordability credits”), HR 3200 does state, “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.” That would seem to solve the problem, but it’s more rhetoric than reality. The bill contains no verification requirement or enforcement process for citizenship or legal residency, as exists for other federal benefit programs. The only verification required for the subsidies pertains to family income. Beyond that, as the CRS report notes, everything is left in the hands of the Health Choices Commissioner.

House Democrats defeated all attempts in committee to add an enforcement mechanism that would require proof of citizenship or legal residency for those getting subsidies.

CRS also notes that “undocumented aliens” who have a “substantial presence” in the US would be required to buy health insurance (page 4) through the exchanges in HR3200. They would also become eligible for “emergency Medicaid,” although not normal Medicaid (page 6) for up to five years.

What about Section 246, which I said would prevent the spending of money on illegal aliens? The CRS analysis is less than impressed with that portion of the bill. Section “246 would bar unauthorized aliens from receiving any premium or cost-sharing credit,” it says, but that may be hard to enforce. It also states later that “absent of a provision in the bill specifying the verification procedure, that the Commissioner would be responsible for determining a mechanism to verify the eligibility of noncitizens for the credits” — or in other words, HR3200 fails to provide it entirely. I gave it a little too much credit, apparently, more than Congress’ own analysts do.

Be sure to read it all. If Congress tells us that no money will go to cover illegal aliens, we can show them the CRS report and ask them to stop spreading myths.

Update: Congressional Research Service, not Office. Had it right in the story, not in the headline. Sorry about that!

Blowback

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I also read that the Health Commissioner is able to treat family units as one ‘person’ for purposes of offering health care benefits and that if any person in the family is a citizen then the entire ‘person’ i.e. family would qualify even if the rest of the family consist of illegals. That would mean that approximately two million illegal families could get Obama health care and with discrimination against old people your tax dollars would give priority to young illegals over senior citizen lawful americans. Hope and Change.

You can bet, most every fear we have, will be found in this bill…this is something that they have been working on for decades, and the subterfuge, and the “vagueness” is not an error.
It will be peeled back, section at a time, and reveal what this monstrosity is meant to do…undermine America.
Once an “illegal” is under doctor care, do you think that their would be any chance of deportation? Their panel would just say that it is “inadvisable” to remove this patient from the doctors care.
The medical healthcare system would bypass the immigration department.
Nothing about this bill, not one thing is worth passing…nothing.
No tort reform, no forcing of insurance to compete across state lines…the two of the most important issues for keeping costs down…doesn’t exist.
Everytime H.R.3200 is stated, H.R. 3400 should be shouted out…that is the Republican answer, and it isn’t mentioned often enough…we do have an answer. H.R. 3400

This won’t surprise anyone who has been paying attention. Giving more “free” (as in, taxpayer-financed) healthcare to millions of illegal aliens has been one of the driving motivations behind this Dem push for socialized healthcare. The “47 million uninsured Americans” the Dems are always moaning about includes 15-20 million illegal aliens. It’s always been about them.

But doesn’t our current system provide health care for illegal immigrants? If I were an Obama supporter, I would just leave things the way they are now, since the only way of preventing illegal immigrants from getting health care is by way of a law that explicitly bans this practice, like California’s Proposition 187. What am I missing?

Basically our current system is that no hospital can refuse a patient…so the Emergency Rooms of hospitals are basically the immigrants hospital.
I honestly don’t mind taking care of emergency’s, and taking care of the ill, illegal or not…just ship them out after they are taken care of (and fine them or the companies that have knowingly hired them)…

Another example of how the media reports polls showing how gullible the public is for believing right-wing “myths” about health care reform (like this, and taxpayer-fungible abortions), and how these falsehoods are obscuring the drive for it.

Then, as like taxpayer-fungible abortions, some respected independent group investigates, and discovers the “myths” are true.

DHS Napolitano and Mr Obama met with a large group of amnesty supporters on Aug 21. I would love to know what they told them about Obamacare (and amnesty). Heritage Foundation was not invited to attend.

I honestly don’t mind taking care of emergency’s, and taking care of the ill, illegal or not…just ship them out after they are taken care of (and fine them or the companies that have knowingly hired them)…

right2bright on August 28, 2009 at 10:30 AM

+1. Agree with this position totally. I will also add that if legal immigrants cannot pay their bill, they are subject to removal from the country.

I subscribe to the idea that we welcome nearly all immigrants that carry no diseases to our country. Prove for 7 years that you can be in our country and not become a public charge (i.e., no welfare, no crimes, no defaulting on debts, etc.). Learn English and pass a civics test…then welcome aboard. Glad to have you as a fellow citizen.

I suppose I should be grateful that Obama has decided that I must live with cuts in Medicare so that health benefits can be provided to illegals–grateful that he has called me to do my compassionate duty which I would certainly shirk if not compelled. My dislike of him and his administration is slowly turning into something very much stronger and more directed. The TV news needs to make this public so every senior in the country will be sure to read or hear it.

I am shocked I tell you SHOCKED that Team Obama has lied to us again! OK they are batting 8,000 for 8,000…………in other words they haven’t told us a single true thing yet! Thank goodness they didn’t lie about the fact that the Messiah was born in Kenya…….or Russia………or Nigeria………..ink is still wet on the birth certificate..

So, the rights of illegal immigrants to free American Healthcare and the rights of Terrorists who want to anihilate us are being actively promoted by the American President, His Administrative Staff, and The American Congress. What in the name of Dow Jones and all his little averages is going on here? Pass the Tylenol.

The open-border themes of Obamacare (Chappaquidicare?) reminds me of turning on the air conditioning and then opening all the windows of my house on a sweltering, humid day.

Theme song for Obamacare: “America” (from the West Side Story score)
ARTIST: Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim
TITLE: America

[From the movie version of the musical]

Girls: Puerto Rico, my heart’s devotion
Let it slip back in the ocean
Always the hurricanes blowing
Always the population growing
And the money owing
And the sunlight streaming
And the natives steaming
I like the isle of Manhattan
Smoke on your pipe and put that in

I like to be in America
OK by me in America
Everything free in America

While the scenario suggested by the author is correct, HR3200 does explicitly state that only legal residents of the US are covered by it. Now that doesnt say citizen anywhere does it. There are many permanent residents here that are NOT citizens.

Also this illustrates one failure of the bill. Illegals cause the biggest chunk of federal health care expense. So the bill like all the other trash coming from the libturds DOES NOT ACTUALLY ADDRESS THE REASON IS WAS WRITTEN!

We all knew this was their intent. To many of these people, they do not see those who have illegally crossed our border, illegally stayed in our country and have illegally obtained work here as illegal, they are simply undocumented and should be immediately granted US Citizenship.

This won’t surprise anyone who has been paying attention. Giving more “free” (as in, taxpayer-financed) healthcare to millions of illegal aliens has been one of the driving motivations behind this Dem push for socialized healthcare. The “47 million uninsured Americans” the Dems are always moaning about includes 15-20 million illegal aliens. It’s always been about them

It’s not free. Legal or illegal, you have to pay into the system. “246 would bar unauthorized aliens from receiving any premium or cost-sharing credit,” Economically, the small number of illegals able to get into the system will be a modest benefit, since they skew younger and are less likely to need insurance.

But hey, if you’re idea of a good time is throwing another level of bureaucracy into out lives, go for it. I’d also like to demand proof of citizenship to buy guns (even at gun shows), rent a car, cross state lines, open a checking account, or rent a hotel room. In fact, every action that you allow that doesn’t demand proof of citizenship is an explicit invitation for illegals to participate in that action. Since so many conservatives are proud of the fact that they don’t own a passport, maybe we should just issue a national ID, which you’ll be required to carry around with you at all times. We should probably have the police stop you at random and demand you produce it, and arrest you if you can’t.

Or, better yet, maybe a bar code on the back of everybody’s neck. Yeah, that’s the ticket….

I could write a bill to send all the illegals home that would actually save money and get the government out of our lives and our wallets.

1. Use 11% of the annual funding for the war on drugs to send ALL the illegals home. (I did the math on this) And measures to persuade them to leave. No automatic citizenship for children born here or benefits of any kind for those here illegally. Instead its an instant twenty years in jail on a felony charge.

It will cover anything that Democrats want to cover and it won’t cover what they won’t and it doesn’t even matter how they write the Bill.

Once (if) they get it passed, it will contain all sorts of things any reasonable individual would question, because Democrats will have included all sorts of weasel words and they’ll get their lawyers to argue it and their jackass judges to “intpret” their language favorably.

Then the media will chortle about how clever they are and how they put one over on the Republicans, like they always do.

Bottom line: Never, ever trust Democrats and don’t give them an inch, because they will take 100 miles.

The point will be moot in a couple years if and when the one and his cronies give amnesty and voting rights to all illegals before next years elections. Then they will simply be qualified for healthcare, become citizens, and surely vote for the dems. And guess what, in 25 years, we’ll have another 12 to 14 million illegals because this type of thing is exactly the dream that they are willing to cross the border at all costs for.

“undocumented aliens will be required to purchase medical insurance” HAHAHAHAH. RIGHT. That’ll work for sure. Same as they are theoretically required to apply for visas before entering the country, supposedly required to apply for green cards before working, supposedly required to buy automobile insurance, supposedly required to pay taxes, supposedly required to learn English before becoming citizens or voting. I’m sure they’ll step right up and pay their money. And the sun rises in the West too.

But hey, if you’re idea of a good time is throwing another level of bureaucracy into out lives, go for it.

This from the idiot who supports creating a socialized health system, which is going to have access to all of your financial records. yeah, conservatives are the one’s proposing a whole new beauracracy.

Shocked, I tell you shocked. This must be some mistake, Dems would never support this.Riiight.
Just like the provision that has the IRS sending taxpayer data to the Health Commissioner. Can’t require an illegal to show paperwork, but by golly YOUR tax returns will be spread throughout the federal government.

Mind you, like leftists always do, when one lie is proven they move on to the next argument. In that one statement he admits his messiah O! is lying through his teath about illegals not being covered, but says “hey, no worries, I’m sure they’ll pay their fair share”.

In fact, every action that you allow that doesn’t demand proof of citizenship is an explicit invitation for illegals to participate in that action.

Follow along here – if the gov’t is giving an entitlement away – particularly an expensive one, some proof of citizenship should be required. You have to verify (theoretically) your citizenship to be employed. But you argue against proving citizenship for free health care?

Mind you, like leftists always do, when one lie is proven they move on to the next argument. In that one statement he admits his messiah O! is lying through his teath about illegals not being covered, but says “hey, no worries, I’m sure they’ll pay their fair share”.

Idiot.

Monkeytoe on August 28, 2009 at 10:59 AM

The concern about illegals is whether the system is designed to give them free health care. It is not.

Will some illegals get into the system? Undoubtedly. Are they supposed to? No. Could the enforcement mechanism be stronger? Maybe.

Obama is is not lying. It one thing to say the bill will not work as it should, quite another to allege that the president is consciously misleading the American people.

It’s possible that if there was any chance of a single Republican vote you might be able to negotiate the proof of citizenship clause you want. But since there will be no Republican votes, no matter what the Democrats do, there’s reason at all to negotiate.

“undocumented aliens will be required to purchase medical insurance” HAHAHAHAH. RIGHT. That’ll work for sure.
bradley11 on August 28, 2009 at 10:57 AM

The Dems tried a similar plan in Tennessee in the 90′s (trial baloon for HillaryCare); every TennCare recipient was expected to (partial) pay for their premium cost. Guess what happens when the entitlement class needs a new tire, new clothes, and/or has a high utility payment due? TN Care also failed to reimburse the doctors/hospitals due to loss revenue from no one paying premiums, which forced doctors to leave the TN Care program. Fewer doctors meant TN Care patients had to drive long distances (missing extra work hours) to find a TN Care doctor. As you know, TN Care almost bankrupted Tennessee before it was finally abolished.

Why would the authors of this bill (not necessarily the members of Congress) want to sneak even more people onto the rolls of the insured under this plan, when the cost is already prohibitively expensive?

Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just build an Obama-Kennedy Hospital in Mexico?

TN Mom on August 28, 2009 at 10:56 AM

Wouldn’t it make sense to enforce our immigration laws? Why are we discriminating against those who go through the proper channels to immigrate legally? Oh, wait…. it’s about buying voting blocks.

And, of course, criticizing Mexico for neglecting and abusing a large percentage of their population and willingly dumping them on their neighbors is out of the question. Would we really have the nerve to tell Mexico to act like a civilized country instead of a Third World sh%thole?

C’mon you facist, capitalist pigs—fork out some of your pocket change and support Obama-Kennedy ClunkerCare that includes these poor immigrants. Just skip that vacation to Vegas, and send that money directly to the “new” government insurance company. You know you’d feel better about yourselves and your fellow man person. Stop being so greedy and share your wealth.